Sheet Pan Smashburgers

smashburgers are not like normal hamburgers

Toss your burger preconceptions to the wind. For one thing, you can’t order them rare or medium ~ smashburgers are so thin they cook through right away. We’re not going for a juicy interior ~ we’re going for a crisp caramelized exterior. That’s the Maillard reaction, the same one we get when we toast almonds or caramelize onions.

And so we’re not jamming two burgers right up against each other we’re putting the cheese between them. This also ensures we’re getting a nice moist cheese bite every time. (Thanks Serious Eats for this innovation.)

Secondly, they cook in, like, 2 minutes, (set that timer) so you’ve got to have everything (and I mean everything) ready to go or you’ll be eating lukewarm smashburgers for dinner.

what you’ll need for sheet pan smashburgers

• ground beef
  • see below for the best kind of beef to use.
• sliced cheese
  • totally up to you what kind. I used Colby-Jack. 2 slices per burger, please!
• sliced red onion
  • if raw onions don’t agree with you can soak them in cold water ahead of time, which reduces their bite, or you can grill them.
• sliced tomato
  • thin slices work best, you don’t want to overwhelm, or cool down, your burgers.
• pickles
• special sauce
  • a blend of mayonnaise, ketchup and yellow mustard
• salt
• hamburger buns
  • you do you, but I highly recommend brioche buns.

equipment

• 2 sheet pans
  • stainless steel or cast iron works best. Do not use a nonstick surface.
• a meat pounder for smashing (or something else that can do the job like a large spatula.)

what’s the best beef for smashburgers?

For smashburgers you want ground beef with a decent amount of fat in it so that the burger crisps up nicely in the high heat without drying out. An 80/20 blend is ideal. Or you could ask your butcher to grind something custom for you. (Just fyi, a short rib smashburger is an insane luxury.)

method: how to make smashburgers on a sheet pan in the oven

This is the absolute best method when you’re making smashburgers for more than two people.

step 1. portion out your burger meat

Weigh 3 ounce portions of meat and roll them into balls. We’re going to be using 2 patties per burger for a total of 6 ounces for each burger. You can use just one patty per burger if you like.

step 2. prep your burgers

Many if not most recipes for smashburgers will have you roll your meat in a ball and then smash it right onto your hot pan. I’ve found that there is nothing lost by pre-smashing the burgers and firmly pressing them onto the hot pan. It’s a lot more convenient.

Roll your meat into round balls. Flatten each one on a piece of waxed paper. You’re aiming to get the burger a little bigger than the bun (remember it will shrink a bit as it cooks.) The paper will help keep the meat together and allow you to stack them on a plate. Refrigerate until ready to cook. Note: a meat pounder works well, but a sturdy metal spatula should do the trick with a little elbow grease.

step 3. preheat your oven and your sheet pans

This is an important step. You want your (ungreased) pan screaming hot when you press your burger onto it. You should hear a good sizzle when the meat touches the pan.

step 4. broil the burgers

Put the smashed burgers on your preheated sheet pan and press down with your spatula to insure good contact all over. Immediately put the pan back under the broiler, top rack, and cook for about 2-2 1/2 minutes, or until the burgers are sizzling and browned. Check them often.

step 5. stack the burgers

Place cheese and onion on half of your burgers and stack the other burgers right on top. Put back under the broiler just briefly, just to allow the cheese to melt.

step 6. add tomato, pickles, and secret sauce

Serve asap ~ what are you waiting for?

helpful hints for making smash burgers

Save the primo ground sirloin for another recipe, go for the ground chuck, the extra fat helps keep your smashburger moist.

Don’t stress about smashing your burgers perfectly round ~ those jagged edges are gold! They’ll crisp up beautifully.

Have your buns and toppings ready to go, these burgers cook in a flash.

Dry toasting your buns helps prevent sog.

There is no rare, medium rare, etc...smashburgers are done only one way ~ caramelized and crispy!

Serve with coleslaw and crispy fries.

more burgers and hot sammies

• Sheet Pan Tuna Melts
• Perfect Patty Melts
• Perfect Salmon Burgers
• Falafel Burger Recipe (copycat McFalafel)
• Chickpea Veggie Burgers
• Turkey Reuben Sandwiches